Anna Monica / L’Observateur / April 26, 2000

Easter Sunday is one of those holidays that bring families together at church. That is a really good idea and something I like to see. Having thefamily, especially children, in church is the thing to do because, usually, as the years go by, it comes natural to the youngsters. It’s like giving them aheritage.

As I sat in church on Sunday, instead of just people, I saw, as I usually do, possible stories. It was rather intriguing and heartwarming. Young childrenleaned over to kiss their moms; dads were holding their babies; parents had their arms around their cuddling children or were reaching out to keep them from tumbling over the pews. Nonetheless, it was family and, to me, thesounds of children in church belong there, with weddings being the exception, and are simply reminders that life is suppose to be the continuous procreation of the human race.

One scene I found especially heartwarming was an adult daughter with her arm around the shoulders of her wheelchair-bound father. It made me think”what a great father he must have been to have his grown daughter show such affection.” The father was Mr. Sydney Matherne, with his daughter,Patty. Then, sitting right there in front of me was another story – the familyof Dawn and Garrette Trosclair.

The Trosclairs are always a familiar sight in church. They seem to be a greatfamily! Around 1995, Dawn and Garrette were named “Foster Parents of the Year” and more recently they added a sixth child to their family, Shaun, now 10 months old. It was quite obvious that Shaun already has captured thehearts of his brothers and sisters, John, Haley, Joseph, T. J. and Marie.Adoptions are complete on most of the children and three of them actually are natural siblings. They range in age from 14 years to 10 months.Obviously, they all share love for each other.

Second grader John was all personality – delightfully so. He said he liked myearrings. He was also pleased to talk to me about his brothers and sistersand of all the sports he hopes to play. Actually, they all wanted to talk and itis obvious that these children are accustomed to warmth and friendliness.

Their grandparents would have been the late Rene’ and Laura Mae Trosclair who loved children and raised their own large brood in Garyville.

Dawn and Garrette recently moved from Garyville to LaPlace, but it is only temporary. They plan to make Garyville their permanent home as soon aspossible and the children are looking forward to that. Meanwhile, though, it isjust a pleasure to see these youngsters in church or anywhere because it seems that love goes wherever they go.

Yes, I still do manage to pray in church, too! But, I just love the stories I find there.

Anna Monica is a regular columnist for L’Observateur.

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